1080i but 4:3 ...?
 

Hi all,

Arrived at my shoot, switched off internal record, selected external only, selected HDV 1080i, got a nice widescreen image on the viewfinder (no grey areas plus a widescreen frame which said on top left 1080i), started shoot and wandered off home once it was all over.

Just downloaded the files from my x300 card only to discover that they are all 4:3 DV files.

What on earth happened? How can I convert them to 16:9 using FCP7?

Anyone ...? Err, help?

I am pretty new to all this. But My friend said try Mpeg Streamclip, you can get it for Free. Also when we where talking we did agree odd that what happened to you?

I think FCP can send them out in a similar Manner, as saving the clips as quicktime in your chosen workflow, I forget a lot of the details I should have listened better but he even spoke about anamorphic.

Sorry for not being of much help, I have some questions about the Z7, I think I better work out what I want to ask first?

Steven

That does sound like some kind of Down Conversion, I have never come across this Thankfully. I have had a few problems but not this, That's why it is good to check on here....

In using the methods mentioned before, I have never worked with 4.3 footage so you would have nothing to lose in trying any of the methods. I don't know what you would lose, but that would be down to your preference?

I would have used FCP to export as a self contained quicktime, with a 16.9 aspect ratio.... but like I said I have never come across this.

Hopefully someone can help.
James

Page 26 of the MRC1K manual talks about disconnecting the i.LINK cable before changing formats in the camera, and says that if you don't, "the video signal might not be recognized correctly." I'm guessing that the Z7 and the MRC1K have a little more between them than just the normal i.LINK connection, but perhaps there was a bad connection or something and the two weren't on the same page. Also, the manual says that, on the Z7 viewfinder, you can pull up a status menu that shows all of the settings of the MRC1K when it's attached. Might want to do that and make sure the camera and MRC1K are talking normally and that the MRC1K isn't just acting like any old "dumb" i.LINK device (such as might be confused if you changed formats without disconnecting it).

Just throwing out ideas!

Best,
Aaron

The only "thing" I can think of is that somehow the DOWNCONVERT was set to ON in the CROP mode.
CROP, instead of SQUEEZE, will format to a 4:3 ratio.

Check your menu.

In the logging bin in FCP (list view) there is a column labeled Anamorphic. After you transfer you footage into FCP you can check that column for each clip and it will stretch the footage out to 16:9. Unfortunately the image will look stretched out. There are resizing plugins for FCP that will gradually stretch the image out. Boris Continuum is one that includes such a filter, but it's expensive. Digital Anarchy used to have a plugin called Resizer, but I believe it is discontinued. I'm sure there are others.

A few options & things to look into:

Option 1:
HDV 1080 pixels are: 1440x1080. So HDV is 4:3 if you look at it with square pixels (which is the wrong way to look at it.)

If that is the case, you just need to have it recognized as non square pixels (ie anamorphic) & you should correct it.

Option 2:
As mentioned above, the MRC1 might have been recording DV instead of HDV. If that is the case your footage could be Stretch, Letterbox or Cropped.

If it was letterboxed you'd see the lines.

If it was cropped, then you've got a 4:3 picture.

If it was stretched, you have a similar situation as above in HDV. 16:9 DV has the same amount of pixels as 4:3 DV, just 16:9 has non-square pixels & you need to make sure the footage is getting recognized as such.

(Again mentioned above) in FCP there is a little empty space under "Anamorphic" where a check mark can exist or not exist. If you have 16:9 footage displaying as 4:3, that check mark probably isn't there. Click that empty space & the check mark should appear & your footage should go to 16:9.